No Fewer Than 6 Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event
No fewer than six individuals have died during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a stadium in Ghana.
The midweek "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a statement from the nation's military.
Twenty-two others were hurt, among them 5 who are in critical condition.
Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.
Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.
The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.
